A Chinese national living in California was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a major counterfeit Apple product scheme. Zhengxuan Hu, 28, pled guilty to conspiracy in a scheme that cost Apple $16.2 million by fraudulently returning thousands of fake iPhones and iPads. Authorities stated the operation involved visiting multiple Southern California Apple Stores to return counterfeit goods. This case highlights the significant financial impact of Apple-related counterfeiting on the tech giant.

In Milwaukee, a woman used an AirTag to track her stolen Instacart car, leading to a viral confrontation that ended with the thief striking a bus. The incident, captured on social media, resulted in the thief being charged with reckless endangerment and other crimes. Meanwhile, Russian hackers linked to the government targeted Ukrainian iPhone users with new Darksword toolkit, aiming to steal personal data and cryptocurrency.

Other Apple-related crimes this week include the arrest of an 18-year-old New Yorker for stealing iPhones from an Irvine Apple Store, and a Maryland man charged after grabbing an iPhone from a Walmart associate and fleeing. An Iowa woman accepted a plea deal for selling a lost iPhone to a kiosk, while police recovered a stolen Toyota Hilux and iPhone 16 Pro Max in Ghana following an intelligence operation.